SEC fires official in connection with alleged fraud

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference fired a basketball referee in another shakeup stemming from allegations of a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme.

Kerry Sitton was fired because of the ongoing federal investigation, which focuses on former SEC referee Travis Correll of Atlanta. Sitton was terminated effective Dec. 31, league spokesman Charles Bloom said Friday.

Sitton did not immediately return a message left at his home in Tyler, Texas.

Sitton is among 32 people and businesses whose assets have been frozen since the initial complaint in December, according to a report issued Tuesday by the court-appointed receiver in the case.

Correll resigned in December after the Securities and Exchange Commission filed suit in Texas alleging he and others sold interests in purported foreign and international bank deposit programs promising risk-free returns of 4 percent to 12 percent. The deposit program allegedly did not exist.

The receiver, Gregory Hays of Atlanta, said in Tuesday's interim report that the alleged scheme may have raised more than $390 million -- far more than the initial estimate of more than $26 million -- and that investors, mostly in Louisiana, Texas, Minnesota, Idaho and Georgia, are owed about $153 million.

Sitton, who officiates in multiple conferences, worked three games involving SEC teams this season, the last on Dec. 31 between Alabama and Oklahoma. He had worked the Kansas-Kansas State game on Jan. 14, but the Big 12 Conference said it was reviewing his status.

John Guthrie, the SEC's supervisor of basketball officials for more than two decades, was fired for unspecified reasons the day Correll resigned. The league also released referee Jason McNeil.

Neither Guthrie nor McNeil have been linked to the investigation, the league said.

Virginia Tech suspends Washington for one game

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia Tech suspended forward Deron Washington for one game on Friday, hours after officials saw him appear to drive his foot into the face of a Duke player when the two became entangled.

Washington, a starting forward and the Hokies' third-leading scorer with an 11-point average, will miss Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference game at Wake Forest.

He was ejected from Thursday night's 80-67 loss to No. 2 Duke for a flagrant foul, which came with 1:30 left after he was fouled by Lee Melchionni.

Washington said afterward that he kicked Melchionni unintentionally as he was trying to hurry to get back on his feet. He and coach Seth Greenberg went to Duke's locker room shortly after the game and apologized to Melchionni and coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Tech athletic director Jim Weaver imposed the suspension for "conduct detrimental to the sport of basketball," according to a release from the school. Weaver was out of town and could not be reached for comment, a spokeswoman said.

"Jim Weaver and Seth Greenberg are to be commended for how they have addressed this issue," ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. He said he concurred with Tech's action, and that the conference would impose no additional punishment.

Greenberg said after the game he was disappointed in the way the Hokies conducted themselves.